Giving Up the Ghost
429 Records
He went from the Northern California foothills (Cameron Park, near Placerville, to be exact) to Sacramento to San Francisco, but as Greene put it in a recent radio interview, “For being on the road a lot, it kind of doesn’t matter where I live.”
And he should know, having just finished more than a year touring as lead singer in Phil Lesh’s latest incarnation of Phil and Friends (for a taste, go here). But while that gig introduced him to countless people who’d never heard of him, Greene already had built up considerable steam on his own. Over the course of several albums, he perfected his brand of folk, blues and rock, and in 2006 arrived at major label Verve for “American Myth.”
Unfortunately, shortly afterward the label’s president was fired. The album fizzled and the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist found himself released from the long-term contract he’d just signed. Then 429 Records, impressed with Greene’s contribution last year of “Look Out Cleveland” to its all-star tribute to The Band, came to the rescue and made “Ghost” possible.
Co-produced by Greene and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, it features support by David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan), Mic Gillette (Tower of Power), and Pete Thomas and Davey Farragher (Elvis Costello). It’s an eclectic set that’s polished but not slick, familiar yet new, and full of texture and layers that make each new listen that much more enjoyable.
Tracks
1. Shaken
2. Animal
3. I Don’t Live In A Dream
4. Like A Ball & Chain
5. Uphill Mountain
6. Don’t Let The Devil Take Your Mind
7. Prayer For Spanish Harlem
8. Downhearted
9. Follow You
10. Another Love Gone Bad
11. When You Return
12. Ghosts Of Promised Lands
Total time: 52:27
External Links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store
